DCA Saturday

[Jeffsjetta]

(note...havent looked at recaps yet...all thoughts and opinions are mine. i refuse to be abused for feeling as i do)

ahh, prelims morning. Got to the stadium alittle later than i wanted to, and as a result, sat on the 45ish, about 15 rows up. weather looked threatening, but at least at the outset started off in the fans and corps favor.

first up Shenandoah Sound. 9 total members, playing a list of great drum corps charts. hornline, for their size, projected well...lead mello player wailed at times. percussion, what they had of it was well used. Unsure about the two props which sat off to the sides, but they did help shrink the field for the corps. guard work seemed a little unsure at times, but all in all, a great showing, and gutsy...many corps wouldnt go out there atthat size. my hats off to them.

Sunrisers...what a great moment to see this corps back on the field. i saw the orange and got misty. and, nice show to boot! hornline had some power, and the snares played very well. Basses seemed overpowering at times, but played well. Pit, not in uniform, didnt play a lot but played well when they did. guard performed well, and made me think back to Sun guards of old. and hey Glen, you looked great out there! great way to return, loved the music, and i cant wait to see you back next year.

Heatwave......fun show and congrats! drumline again played very well, and the brass sounded better than past years! latin section...or pit as it were...added great fun to the show. drill also looked bestter than pervious years. Vic, how true you were...welcome to Pennsylrainya! thank you again for coming north and congrats on another class a title!

after the break(after 3 corps????) we're back for open class...and mother nature doesnt look so friendly.

Kilties......first off. congrats for performing in that hurricane and not suffering any major issues. loved the show...upgraded in many ways since i last saw you. i had a hard time seeing you by the end of the show...my glasses needed wipers, and i am sure you had issues out there. drill more modern than in past years, tho needed more velocity. percussion book...loved the scottish feel in the snares. performed relatively well, tho you could have used one more bass to balance out the sound. pit performed ok, except for a timing issue or 2 towards the end front to back on the hits. all in all, a great showing. the only thing that could have helped you more was a trip east earlier so prelims wasnt a first read.

Carolina Gold.....some years you wish 13 could get in. Such a huge improvement over last year. beefed up size wise and the book was a blast...one cant go wrong playing stuff from City of Angels. brass had some power and two great screamers, and they didnt distract from the rest of the corps. percussion line had some really nice moments, and played some serious meat. forgot to notice the guard sorry....the drumline held much of my attention.

CorpsVets. rain part two...maybe worse than during Kilties.

ok time for a joke at Duane's expense. the unis look like Madison this year. they came off the end line like Scouts do. and Duane is Madison alum...conspiracy? lol

seriously, great show. big step up from last year. corps moved better and i loved watching the guard perform...they had so much fun out there. the purple unis offset the corps nicely. hornline had a great sound, and power when needed. drumline better and hey Andy....our talks last year paid off eh? Worm helping out could not have hurt. IMO, i had you closer to 90, but you made the big show with your best show yet.I look forward to seeing it in dry conditions.

Skyliners.....many wrote this corps off for dead. I know at Reading i was concerned. glad to see no need to worry. The NY sound is alive and well. a very young drumline came a long way and what a pit! Sean, Mark great job! Hornline had some great moments, esp in the ballad. drill, while not as demanding as some, was performed well. Loved the old Skyline flags in NYNY, as well as the old Skyliners flags up front. NYNY was goosebumps....from your "oh yeah" to the crowds reaction. the wedge...Konga.....pure Skyliners. gret job!

Renegades......ok, i may come off biased here. but really, two words sum it all up....'#### ME"

Ladies and gentlemen, California has a kick ### senior corps to go with the juniors. Huge step up from last year in design and execuion...yes, they were still loud, but they were quality loud. just seeing the mass of black come on the field was impressive. the dm unis...one in white leather, one in black leather, and one just in black fit the concept. opening brass hit woke everyone up in the NEPA region. guard unis worked well against the mass of black, and some quality work....nice field coverage too. Opening move of crabbing by the horns worked well under the Halloween groove, and the build to Russian was so tasteful. drum line can groove and shift gears to major wail at the drop of a dime. Russian Xmas....what can be said. it's been done well so many times, and you just added to it. Matrix....way too cool, and design wise one of the most creative things on the field. the mello effect w/the negaphones was way too cool. what a full corps groove going on here.

loved the body visuals from the movie in the drum solo under the bass run....reminded me of 93 but cooler. seriously cool and fit the concept. Pit...wow! holy toys Ed! legos, the renebike(yes!) and quality parts. battery played very well, esp tenors(jan hyped!). big step up from last year. Niner Two....first off the dm on the box conducted two meters at once. the dm on side 1 went with the right hand, dm on side two went with the left. OMG i noticed a DM. corps handled the odd meters fine musically and visually. some very tasty stuff in this tune, and it allowed for wailing too. tasty drum licks, esp tenors. the repirse back into Matrix ending was well set up, the corps hopped like moshers and blew the house down. loved the extended pause for screamers too. this show ladies and gentlemen, was by far the funnest thing i have seen in a long time.

Hurcs....i missed you guys. due to the earlier rains, as well as the lady behind me continuously dumping her umbrella on me, i was drenched. i did see you from a bad spot, so while you looked to be very on, i'll comment on finals.

quick run to buy dry clothes, i finally met Lee Rudnicki(thanks for the gift lee) and Christine and i got dry tshirts from the renesouvie table. what a great guy. love him, hate him, the man ispure genkus.

Grenadiers. Huge step up from last year. huge, young drumline. Note to drum staff....this line needs to be kept together. they remind me of Shore in 89...young and hungry, and with talent that in time will cultivate into a monster. Metheney show was well sone...again tough to live up to great version past, but you did it. Mr Abates drill for the most part was smooth and flowing and challenged the members. Hornline has nice sound, and the guard unis worked well with the yellow corps unis. perc line played well, tho there were some issues....i expect better at finals. Only issue i had with the show was in First Circle.....when the tempo jumped i felt there should have been movement to add to the tension, then the hold while you wailed out the end. but in all, your best show, IMO since you came out in what 95?

Crusaders..........new direction worked well for the corps. great well known classical tunes, and well played and marched. brass line, as expected from DA's touch had the perfect blend of control and power. when the drumline was on, they were on, tho at times they knew it and to me, seemed to overhype and lose the moment. temporary issue i am sure. i could tell it was a Stodd line...matched grip, but a controlled matched grip. loved the purple flags. oh...jingle trees needed more jingle. but in all, great new look and sound...way to go Cru!

Bush.....huge improvement...loved the warmup with the cd played over the long ranger. nice use of a&e lol. hornline was on a mission, no pun intended, and they delivered...such a well rounded sound. percussion, last years issue IMo took a huge step up...kudos gang. guard was a show in and of themselves, esp in the big block pass thru. also loved the rocket launching portrayed. in other years, this show was top 4. this year, too may dogs in the house. regardless be extremely proud of your effort......it was well received here.

Bucs....except for what seemed to be a tear in the opener, well performed. brass line had some raw power, but the 8 sops held you back a little bit. drumline played very well, and also had a great visual moment when they "buried the sailor" at sea. guard carried the nautical theme off very well, and the costuming was genius. another show that in other years, could have done very well. add 10 horns this year and it would have.

Minnesota.....####, you guys look like Westshore, and i mean that in the most flattering terms possible. May i also say your drumline plays like them too. show seemed a bit falt in the daylight, but well designed. the whole corps handled the latin feel well, and featured al sections to the max. visual design was definitely up from last year. percussion line...forget it. few could play that book as well. i dont know where you placed at prelims but it had to be cloe to the top. that snare split roll was so tigh if you didnt watch hands you wouldnt have realized it.

ballad was very well done, and loved the mallet effect used by the snares and toms. hornline had the right blend of power. one more corps lost in the dearth of quality corps.

Empire.

How you guys found the will to perform today is beyond me, but as someone who taught there alittle bit in 2001, i am proud of your toughness. David, it was heartbreaking to watch you fight to keep it together. to the whole Empire family past and present, my hearts went out to you.

then the show! Someone near me called it Joey pero and his friends, but it was a lot more than that. well thought out show, excellent use of the broadway motif. loved the singing/drum lick trade offs...s.eeing DeFazio do drum speak was worth it. the tap dance was also well done and fit the show. color guard had some awesome moments and nice use of the props to show them off. Joey was on fire on sop, and he had a mello issue but recovered well. drumline did very well....nice musical book. tenor line was especially on. i am sure finals will be an even better show, and more emotion to boot. thank you guys for keeping it together on a day that had to be painful beyond words.

Cabs......one week after the big showdown i didnt know what to expect. nervous? wad blown the week before? overhype?

What we got was controlled, tho a touch flat....but well performed. Toughest drill in DCA hands down...at times maybe too much velocity but well performed. guard work was much cleaner today and i loved the brigther flags. Curt was on as always. drumline....a ton of notes. maybe 4 or 5 too many in a few spots, but running like you were and playing that notefest gets you props just because. bassline is a total scream, and IMO the best in DCA this year and many others. ballad is a true tear jerker. for those who say its a gift to Jimmy, sorry this corps deserved every tenth. looking forward to seeing it under the lights.

Brigs.............tough act to follow after Cabs. yet you did it well.hornline full of pwer and gobs of technique. drumline, when exposed played well, tho on the move the book seemed a bit calmer...not a bad thing, but may have hurt on the sheets. guard performed very well. Tommy was exactly what i expected....loud, clean and fun...maybe a bd knockoff, but so what? the tune rocked. ballad was a truly touching thing to see and hear...best of the year i think. Get it on...what a screamer fest. loved the Tommy references in the drum feature. only thing i can see hurting you is the lack of velocity in the show visually. again, i havent looked at recaps, but i can think upstairs that had to hurt. dont fret tho...one more day to go. and if you dont pull it off, be proud of what you have done. 2nd is not a bad thing, i've been there.

off to the hotel and a quick nap, then I&E. great location. only complaint is not enough people working the food and beer lines. oh and not enough beer.

Stu...what a jonb in I&E...made up as you went and 5th place...if you hadnt had the drop who knows! Alisha, sorry i missed you hun! and that little blond from brigs rocked. Bush loved the brass ensemble. saw some cool pit ensembles and a few cool bass lines.

Crunchy Frog......well. i cant explain it all. i do know Glens son stole the show. Lee's Star Trek uni was funny. the chicken was riot. the cavies guard person had me crying. Alisha had THE END on um...her end. Glen gave us an ECW moment by doing flying elbow onto his trash can. DQ'd for illegal instrumentation? lol. who cares. it was a riot to watch and Woobie, i want video.

mini cors...wow. gets better every year. Erie was on fire and gave an encore. renegades also wailed and Murray on set...good god! loved where he paused to bring his bass back towards him. Poots were funny and Ghost Riders also did a great job. Socal was well done...i tried to call you VKG...argh. I didnt know who won til the next day, but i didnt care.

line of the night from one of my band kids who came up to i&e..."Crunch Frog was odd. can we do that for indoor?'

enough about saturday. Sundays review to come.

[Jeffsjetta]

i forgot Royal Airs and Gold at I&E....awesome shows. i cant wait to see RA on the move Sunday!

[skajerk]

Crunchy Frog......well. i cant explain it all. i do know Glens son stole the show. Lee's Star Trek uni was funny. the chicken was riot. the cavies guard person had me crying. Alisha had THE END on um...her end. Glen gave us an ECW moment by doing flying elbow onto his trash can. DQ'd for illegal instrumentation? lol. who cares. it was a riot to watch and Woobie, i want video.

What?!?!? You didn't care for my suit and tie? Well, that's the last time I try to bring serious art to drum corps!

[wolf1]

Cavie guard guy???? What Cavie guard guy????

[Jeffsjetta]

Randy! sorry i forgot your suit! dude there was so much going on that i need a video to describe it all properly!

[Sean1]

Pit...wow! holy toys Ed! legos, the renebike(yes!) and quality parts.

Very nice Job. Renegades Pit was very kewl. Calvin sorry didnt get a chance to chat. Ed, Josh nice to see you guys again.

[lisard5]

Thanks for the review Jeff!

It was nice to meet you at I&E!! Thanks so much for sitting in the rain for us!! :)

[CSGreen]

i forgot Royal Airs and Gold at I&E....awesome shows. i cant wait to see RA on the move Sunday!

Thanks Jeff! Was awesome to perform at I&E. Thanks to DCA for inviting us to do so.

0.236

[susperc1]

Thank you Jeff...

[Jeffsjetta]

no gang, thank you all. for everyone of you who went out and busted your ##### this year, you all succeed in entertaining my ### off. I truly liked every show out there.

and Lisa hun, the rain was worth it....you guys threw down!